January 31st, 2021 - Your Sunday Morning Gospel Of Blasphemy, Coffee, And Red Sea Rift

 

Good morning my metal and craft beer brethren!  Reverend Meista here today pairing "Blasphemy" by death metal monsters Incantation and a rich and delicious Red Sea Rift Imperial Coffee Stout from Level Crossing Brewing Company's Red Feather Small-Batch Series!  Hell yes!!

Album Info: 

• Artist: Incantation
• Title: "Blasphemy"
• Recorded: June through October 2001 at Mars Recording Studio in Cleveland, Ohio
• Release date: June 12th, 2002 (5th full-length studio album by Incantation)
• Record company: Candlelight Records / Necropolis Records
• Production: Incantation and Bill Korecky 
• Album cover art: Paul Ledney
• Personnel: Joe Lombard (bass), John McEntee (guitars), and Kyle Severn (drums and percussion)
• Guest musician: Mike Saez (vocals)
• Musical style: Death metal
• Sound: Aggressive, heavy as hell, and even a sludgy at times, the sound on "Blasphemy" is classic Incantation!  From the opening notes of to the final earth-shattering note of "Misanthropic Indulgence", this album grabs you by the collar, slams you against the wall, and demands your attention!  Severn and Lombard (R.I.P.) are a battering ram of rhythmic intensity, while McEntee shred the hell outta these tracks!!
• Major themes: Death, darkness, the occult, blasphemy, anti-religion, evil, etc.
• Tracks:  
1. "Blasphemy"
2. "The Fallen"
3. "Once Holy Throne"
4. "Crown Of Decayed Salvation"
5. "Rotting With Your Christ"
6. "His Weak Hand"
7. "The Sacrilegious Apocalypse of Righteousness and Agonizing Dementia (The Final Defilement of Your Lord)"
8. "Deceiver (Self-Righteous Betrayer)"
9. "Seraphic Irreverence"
10. "Uprising Heresy"
11. "Misanthropic Indulgence"
12. "Outro"
13. "Outro 2"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Level Crossing Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://www.levelcrossingbrewing.com/ 
• Brew: Red Sea Rift Imperial Coffee Stout
• Style: Imperial 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 9.6%3
• IBUs: 69
• Ingredients: Magnum and Tettnan hops, Solstice Mild, Solstice 2-Row, Solstice flaked oats, Thomas Fawcett Chocolate, Thomas Fawcett Pale Chocolate, Great Western Crystal 30, Great Western Crystal 75, Great Western Crystal 120, Briess Blackprinz malts, Red Sea Coffee blend from Jack Mormon Coffee Company, toasted oatmeal, raw sugar, Chocolate Conspiracy organic Peruvian cocoa nibs, and lactose milk sugar
• Pour: The Red Sea Rift pours an ink black color with a billowy, 2-finger, light mocha head with excellent retention and lots of sticky, intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, malty, chocolaty, and rich.  There are aromas of robust dark roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, light bourbon, oak, cherries, light raspberry, and burnt toffee/caramel.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of Red Sea Rift is a blend of roasty, toasty, earthy, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of black coffee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, fresh cream, light marshmallow, dark toasted hearty bread, oats, light berries, a hint of booze, and soft caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is velvety smooth and chewy with a dry, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: Wonderfully complex, earthy and rich, the Level Crossing Red Sea Rift Imperial Coffee Stout is a beast of a brew, yet very drinkable... perfect for the chunky and aggressive death metal onslaught that is Incantation's "Blasphemy"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Horns raised!!